Tuesday, January 12, 2016

President Obama, Clint Eastwood, the Empty Chair, and the 2016 State of the Union Speech

President Obama earlier tonight addressed the nation with his 8th and final State of the Union Address. It was rousingly boring, but made clear the alternative universe he lives in. He laid out a vision of America divorced from reality, but tied to his vision of the world stage. The soaring rhetoric was there, but the public is hoping for change.
The President’s War on Coal will intensify as he leads America out of the traditional energy sources into clean energy. The United States will lead the world in manufacturing clean energy equipment - a divorce from reality in the global environment.
Detroit is back. It is back manufacturing gas guzzling SUVs and pickup trucks, but he didn't mention that.
The Democrats stood, as they must, in applause on several of the President’s talking points, but often without passion. They recognize that their leader is a spent force, threatening their political futures.
The President expressed his support for gun control by leaving an empty chair next to First Lady Michelle Obama. His empty chair represents the 4,000 victims of gun violence.
The media, of course, touted the empty chair in advance of the speech as a dramatic act for gun control. They thought it was brilliant rather than an empty gesture.
There should have been ten empty chairs, reflecting the nine male sailors and one female sailor seized by the Iranians earlier in the day.
He said not a word about the ten, but praised Iran for cooperating with the Iran non-treaty treaty.
He needed Clint Eastwood’s empty chair to symbolize lack of leadership. The President could borrow Clint’s empty chair from GOP Chair Reince Priebus, who keeps it in his office.
Clint Eastwood addressed an empty chair at the 2012 GOP National Convention representing the empty President, the President who spent his time golfing, vacationing and fund raising. the President who was AWOL during Benghazi.
Clint Eastwood subsequently explained “President Obama was the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.”
President Obama’s Administration addressed the 2008 Democratic National Convention in front of ten faux grandiose Greek columns as part of a faux Greek Temple. The columns were plywood – hardly a solid foundation for the future. He finished eight years later with an empty chair.
The empty chair is a symbol.
Does he not see the symbolism?
Clint Eastwood was a prophet.
President Obama spoke for his legacy. It was there for all to see.
And now, he will take that speech out on the road, campaigning for Democrats, fund raising which he said he disliked.